is company, to whom he was under every obligation,
as far as gratitude was concerned, or kindly and watchful attention,
but toward whom no feeling of tenderness ever arose.

He certainly neglected none of those ordinary acts of courteous
attention which are common between gentlemen and ladies. At Milan he
took her around to see all the sights of that famous city. The Breda
Palace, the Amphitheatre, above all, the Cathedral, were visited, and
nothing was omitted which might give her pleasure. Yet all this was
different from what it had been before. Since the accident Hilda had
grown more sad, and lost her sprightliness and enthusiasm. On first
recovering her senses she had learned about the events of that
accident, and that Lord Chetwynde had tried to bring her to life
again. She had hoped much from this, and had fully expected when she
saw him again to find in him something softer than before. In this
she had been utterly disappointed. Her heart now sank within her, and
scarcely any hope was left. Languid and dull, she tried no longer to
win Lord Chetwynde by brilliancy of conversation, or by enthusiastic
interest in the beautiful of nature and of art. These had failed
once; why should she try them again? And since he had been unmoved by
the spectacle of her lifeless form--the narrow escape from death of
one who he well knew would die to save him--what was there left for
her to do?

At length they resumed their journey, and in due time reached
Florence. Here new changes took place. Their arrival here terminated
that close association enforced by their journey which had been so
precious to Hilda. Here Lord Chetwynde of course drifted away, and
she could not hope to see him except at certain stated intervals. Now
more than ever she began to lose hope. The hopes that she had once
formed seemed now to be baseless. And why, she asked herself
bitterly--why was it so impossible for him to love her? Would not any
other man have loved her under such circumstances?

At Florence Lord Chetwynde went his own way. He visited most of the
places of interest in company with her, took her to the Duomo, the
Church of Santa Croce, the Palazzi Vecchio and Pitti, walked with her
through the picture-galleries, and drove out with her several times.
After this there was nothing more to be done, and he was left to his
own resources, and she, necessarily, to hers. She could not tell
where he went, but merely conjectured that he was idling abou